The security breaches are errors or malfunctions of the information systems that we use daily. These security flaws can cause third parties to have access to our personal data, that is hosted on the systems. This is something that, without a doubt, is worrying, from the point of view of the protection of personal data.

Data security: What it is and what is important in your company

Data security is the digital privacy protection measures that are applied to prevent unauthorized access to our data, which can be found in computers, databases, websites, social media, etc. Data security also protects our data from possible corruption.

What is Data Security Prevention?

Information security or data security prevention is an essential aspect of IT in all organizations and companies of all types.

It's an aspect that has to do with the protection of data against unauthorized access and to protect them from possible corruption.

The information security includes concepts such as data encryption, tokenization and key management practices, that helps to protect data in all applications and platforms of a company.

Today, the companies from all over the world, invest in cybersecurity to protect their assets, such as: the information of their clients, their brand and even the intellectual capital.

Recent trends have shown that ransomware attacks, are increasing in frequency and in severity.

It has become a booming business for cyber thieves and hackers, who access the network and hijack all data and systems.

In recent months, large companies and other organizations, as well as private users, have fallen victim to this type of attack and they have had to pay the ransom or run the risk of losing important data.

How can we protect our network and prevent these cyber attacks?

• Data security engineering

  Security engineering covers a lot of ground and includes many measures, from security tests and regular code reviews to the creation of security architectures and threat models to keep a network locked and secure from a holistic point of view.

• Encryption

  If data security engineering protects the network and other physical assets such as servers, computers and databases, the encryptation protects the data and the real files stored in them or traveling between them through the Internet.

• Encryption

  If data security engineering protects the network and other physical assets such as servers, computers and databases, the encryptation protects the data and the real files stored in them or traveling between them through the Internet.

  In case that data is intercepted, the encryption makes it harder for hackers to do something with them. This is because the encrypted data is illegible to unauthorized users without the encryption key

• Intrusion detection and response to a security breach

  Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) continuously and passively monitor network traffic for behavior that looks illicit or anomalous and mark it for review. NIDS not only blocks that traffic, they also collect information about it and alert network administrators.

  But despite all this, security breaches still occur. That is why it is important to have a response plan to a data breach.

• Firewall

  When you are connected to the Internet, a good way to ensure that only the right people and files are receiving our data is through the firewalls: software or hardware designed with a set of rules to block access to the network of unauthorized users.

• Vulnerability scan

  Data security analysts and vulnerability assessment professionals are a key elements in identifying possible holes in the information and closing them.

  The security analysis software is used to exploit any vulnerability of a computer, network or communications infrastructure, prioritizing and addressing each of them with data security plans that protect, detect and react.

• Intrusion tests

  The intrusion testings, involves the execution of manual or automated processes that disrupt servers, applications, networks and even end-user devices to see if intrusion is possible and where that breach occurred. The result of this tests, can generates a report for the auditors as proof of compliance.

  A complete intrusion test can save you time and money by preventing costly attacks in weak areas you do not know.

• Security information and management events.

  What is known as Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) is an integral approach that monitors and gathers any detail about the activity related to IT security that can occur anywhere in the network, whether in servers, devices of user or security software such as NIDS and firewalls.

  These systems can be quite complex to configure and maintain, so it's important to hire an expert SIEM administrator.

• Cybersecurity: HTTPS, SSL and TLS

  The Internet itself, is considered an insecure network, which is something that can scare us when we realize that it is currently the backbone of many of the information transactions between organizations.

  Encrypted connections and secure pages with HTTPS protocols can hide and protect data sent and received in browsers.

  To create a secure communication channels, Internet security professionals can implement TCP / IP protocols (with interwoven cryptography measures) and encryption methods such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS).

  Anti-malware and anti-spyware software is also important. They're designed to monitor incoming Internet traffic for malware such as spyware, adware and Trojan viruses.

• Endpoint threat detection

  You can prevent ransomware attacks by following good security practices, such as having antivirus software, the latest operating system, and data backups in the cloud and on a local device. However, this is different for organizations that have multiple personnel, systems and facilities that are susceptible to attacks.

  Real users, along with the devices they use to access the network (for example, mobile phones, laptops or mobile POS systems), are often the weakest link in the security chain. Several levels of protection should be implemented, such as authorization technology that grants access to a device to the network.

• Data loss prevention (DLP)

  Within the endpoint security there is another important data security strategy: the of Data Loss Prevention (DLP). Essentially, this covers the measures that are taken to ensure that confidential data is not sent from the network, either on purpose, or by accident. DLP software can be deployed to monitor the network and ensure that authorized end users are not copying or sharing private information or data that they shouldn't have.